Moderate former Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., who sparred repeatedly against progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in Tuesday night’s debate, released a statement blasting the two senators just moments before the second round of Democratic debates is slated to begin.

“I don’t understand why anyone goes through the trouble of running for president if they either can’t explain how their plans work or can’t honestly debate their ideas without reverting to accusing people who disagree with them of reciting Republican talking points,” Delaney said in a statement. “The media should ask Senator Sanders and Senator Warren why they’re so scared to debate the merits of their plans.”

The comments come as a direct rebuke to comments a frustrated Warren made as she lashed out at Delaney in Detroit Tuesday night. Her remarks came after several rounds of heated back-and-forth with the moderate Democrat who has called for Democrats to put the brakes on chasing socialist policies throughout the campaign.

“I don’t understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for,” Warren cried out after Delaney once again called policies endorsed by Sanders and Warren such as “Medicare for All” and the Green New Deal Democratic fantasies.

Warren and Sanders became the two primary targets in Tuesday night’s debate when moderate candidates piled on to criticize left-wing proposals the two senators had been pushing on the campaign trail.

Get the highlights of the first night of this week’s Democratic presidential debates here.

Tristan Justice is a staff writer at The Federalist focusing on the 2020 presidential campaigns. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan
or contact him at [email protected]